GMC has released more information on the new, pure-electric Hummer SUV. The reborn off-roader will go on sale in 2024, sporting similar electric technology and the same rugged styling cues as its pick-up sibling.
The electric Hummer SUV will give GMC another offering in what’s steadily becoming a well-populated marketplace of plus-sized American EVs. Contenders already slated for launch include the Rivian R1S, the Tesla Cybertruck and the Bollinger B1.
It’s based on a shortened version of the Hummer pick-up’s dedicated electric platform, which uses the battery as a load-bearing member of the chassis. The result, GMC says, is a well-protected battery pack and a body rigid enough to handle hardcore off-roading, despite the fact the shell features an open targa-style top, rather than a fixed roof.
The SUV is 500 millimetres shorter than the pick-up, and its wheelbase has shrunk by almost nine inches, which GMC says makes the SUV more manoeuvrable and better suited to tackling rugged terrain.
As a result of its shorter platform, the Hummer SUV’s departure angle has increased by 27 per cent over the pick-up, to 49 degrees, while its breakover angle has improved by 6.8 per cent to 34.4 degrees. Its approach angle is near-enough identical to the pick-up’s at 49.6 degrees, meaning the SUV can crest 60 per cent gradients.
GMC’s platform sharing also means the SUV will inherit the pick-up’s arsenal of off-road-focussed hardware. Standard equipment includes 22-inch alloy wheels, Goodyear all-terrain tyres and adaptive air suspension, which can raise the car’s ride-height by as much as six inches for extra ground clearance when off-roading.
Every car will also come as standard with GMC’s innovative four-wheel-steering system and “Crabwalk” function, which allows the front and rear wheels to steer in the same direction at low speeds, so the off-roader can crawl diagonally over obstacles. Highly equipped versions of the GMC Hummer SUV will get a torque vectoring system, too.
Like the pick-up, GMC will also offer an Extreme Off-Road Package, which adds 18-inch alloy wheels, knobbly mud tyres, extra underbody protection, locking differentials, and a range of cameras dotted around the SUV’s body to assist with spotting obstacles when off-roading.
Due to its smaller dimensions, the flagship Hummer SUV will feature a slightly less powerful version of GMC’s three-motor electric powertrain, which develops 610kW rather than the pick-up’s full 745kW. However, torque remains identical at 1,592Nm, meaning the 4×4 will sprint from 0-100km/h in 3.5 seconds.
The shorter wheelbase means the SUV can’t accommodate quite as big a battery as the pick-up, meaning maximum range is 80 kilometres less, at 480 kilometres in total. However, buyers will get the same 800-volt charging architecture, which should allow the battery to recover around 160 kilometres of range in around 10 minutes.
Inside, the Hummer SUV will share the pick-up’s H1-inspired centre console, a Bose stereo system, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.4-inch infotainment system, which features a database of off-road trail maps. There’s also 2,316 litres of luggage space with the rear seats folded.
Pre-sales are expected to start in America later this year.
Luke Wilkinson